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"Nike", the illustrator of Anís de la Asturiana

"Nike" was the pen name of Enrique Gil Guerra (Madrid, 1912–1996), a painter and drawing professor. Under that signature he worked for close to fifty years for the Hijos de Valeriano Pérez agency and drew the Anís de la Asturiana image that the newspaper ABC ran on its back page from 1950 to 1998.

Woman pouring anís at a table with candelabra
Woman pouring anís at a table with candelabra

Who was "Nike"?

Enrique Gil Guerra trained at the San Fernando School under Manuel Benedito, a pupil of Sorolla, and taught drawing at the Madrid School of Arts and Crafts until 1982. After the Civil War he worked for the Madrid agency of Valeriano Pérez, later Hijos de Valeriano Pérez, and signed his advertisements "Nike", sometimes "Nique" or with his surname (Royal Academy of History; Wikidata).

How long did the Anís de la Asturiana campaign run?

The first known advertisement with his Asturiana image appeared in the magazine FOTOS (year VIII, no. 402) on 12 November 1944. From 1950 the brand ran it on the back page of ABC five or six times a year until 1998, two years after the painter's death (Centro de Documentación Publicitaria).

Which Anís de la Asturiana pieces survive?

The archive holds 117 pieces for the brand: 103 originals kept by the family and 14 documented in the "Hijos de Valeriano Pérez" Facebook group. The "Nike" signature is visible on 97, and 98 date from the 1950s. They include gouaches and inks for the press, posters and a die-cut display. Nearly all carry the slogan "Su presencia siempre agrada" ("Its presence always pleases"), and most show a woman in Asturian regional dress.

Asturian woman leaning out of a window Family picnic under a tree Woman startled by a cat and a mouse Young Asturian woman seated on the grass Guitarist and two flamenco women in a copper-hung room Woman with a glass of anís and a small waitress

See the 117 Anís de la Asturiana pieces

Which other brands did he draw for?

The archive holds 213 pieces for 40 brands. After Anís de la Asturiana, these have the most pieces:

What awards did his advertising receive?

According to the Royal Academy of History:

  • First prize in the poster competition of the III Fiesta de la Vendimia in Jerez in 1950 (study of the Vendimia posters) and again in 1951.
  • Third prize at the III National Advertising Exhibition of the newspaper Pueblo, in 1951.
  • Medal of Honour at the 1st International Crafts Exhibition, in 1953.

Where can his advertisements be seen?

Every piece, with its transcription and source, is in this site's advertising archive. The Centro de Documentación Publicitaria also holds two Anís de la Asturiana posters signed "Nike", from 1959 and 1965, and Diario de Jerez records his poster for the X Fiesta de la Vendimia, from 1957.

The full advertising archive

Sources

  1. Royal Academy of History, Spanish Biographical Dictionary: "Enrique Gil Guerra", by Pablo E. Gil-Loyzaga
  2. Centro de Documentación Publicitaria: the Anís de la Asturiana campaign in ABC, 1950–1998
  3. Wikidata: Enrique Gil Guerra (pen names "Nike" and "Nique")
  4. La Fiesta de la Vendimia de Jerez a través de los carteles y sus autores (1948–2019)
  5. Diario de Jerez: the Fiesta de la Vendimia posters and their authors